Page 45 - Florida Sentinel 2-4-22

Health
Tamping down inflamma- tion is a must for people with chronic inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. But you can be exposed to damaging inflammation without having a specific medical condi- tion.
What is inflammation?
When your body encounters an offending agent (like viruses, bacteria or toxic chemicals) or suffers an injury, your immune system is activated and sends out its first responders: inflam- matory cells and cytokines (sub- stances that stimulate more inflammatory cells).
These cells begin an inflam- matory response to trap bacteria
and other offending agents or start healing injured tissue.
This can result in pain, swelling, bruising or redness. However, inflammation can also affect body systems in ways you can’t see.
Inflammation prevents the body from adequately reacting to stressors and puts the aging process on an unwanted fast track, increasing the likelihood of problems like heart disease.
The negative effects of in- flammation can be so significant that leading researchers from the University of Bologna in Italy coined the phrase inflamm- aging. So making anti-inflam- mation lifestyle choices is good for everyone.
What are the symptoms of inflammation?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, acute inflammation may cause:
• Flushed skin at the site of the injury.
• Pain or tenderness. • Swelling.
• Heat.
Chronic inflammation symp- toms may be harder to spot than acute inflammation symptoms. Signs of chronic inflammation can include:
• Abdominal pain. • Chest pain.
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Joint pain or stiffness • Mouth sores
• Skin rash
How to Avoid Inflamm-aging
Eat a heart-healthy diet fo- cusing on foods like fatty fish, fruits and vegetables. Keep in mind that sugar is highly inflam- matory.
Get active with moder- ate cardio exercise. Remem-
ber: Good health guidelines call for 30 minutes a day on at least five days per week.
Lose excess weight. Es- pecially if you’re carrying those pounds around your middle.
Quit smoking. Also, try to avoid exposure to all forms of secondhand smoke.
Limit alcohol. One drink per day if you’re a woman, two if you’re a man.
Clock seven to eight hours of sleep every night. Some people need more, others need less, but this is the sweet spot between not enough and too much.
Manage stress. Stress is often unavoidable, but you can minimize its effects with tech- niques like deep breathing and
meditation.
When to see a doctor
Talk to your doctor about ways to boost your heart health and any other steps appropriate to your needs to counter inflam- mation.
If you experience a worri- some injury or are experiencing ongoing pain, swelling, stiffness, or other symptoms, consult with your doctor.
Aspirin and other nons- teroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can greatly re- duce the pain and swelling of rheumatoid arthritis. Unfortu- nately, these drugs are not with- out risk. Your doctor can help you decide whether the benefits outweigh the risks in your case.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2022 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY PAGE 9-B